can i? i get ____ed 'cause i can never really get 5-4 bars so the internet is slow, how do i boost the power up? thanks!



btw i mean like a gadget. i have toshiba with vista.

also recommend stuff for a macbook, im getting one for school once i graduate and was wondering whats out there now.

thanks!

 

If the wireless card is internal, there really isn't that much you could do. The wiring for the wireless antenna is usually run around the display.

There are a lot of factors involved though... including the makers of both the laptop and the wireless access point/router. Your distance from said access point (there is such a thing as too close). Other signals in the air - cordless phones can interfere with wifi.

Oh and in my experience, Vista + Wireless, FTL.

You could try an external wireless card though (if you have one handy) at least for testing. If you have a wireless PCMCIA card or a USB adapter, you can see if that is getting any better signal than your internal one. Could help you narrow it down to a laptop problem or a router problem.

 

Oh ya... and I'm not sure being down a bar or two would really kill your connection THAT much... considering that most home high speed connections are somewhere between 1.5mbps (DSL) to maybe 5mbps (decent cable). Well 802.11g is 54mbps (and even 802.11b is 11mbps). So even if you lose some signal strength, you're probably still not fully utilizing the bandwidth you have available.

What is making you think that you're losing so much bandwidth? Do you use any file sharing programs? Limewire? Bittorent? Is there another computer in the house that runs faster? Have you tried any speed tests?

 

nah im in a hotel and it keeps saying limited connectivity. and then sometimes the connection drops completely. its not room to room internet, its in the lobby downstairs but im right over it... maybe the elevators causing interference.

 

Hotels suck for connection if there isn't some sort of access point in your room. The walls/floors have a LOT of stuff in them and are usually pretty thick. More walls/stuff to pass through means crappier signal. Sounds like it's probably just a hotel thing... even if the lobby is literally the floor below you. In a normal house this isn't too much of an issue but there so much more in buildings like this...